The Corporate Governance Study

Over the past decade, the stability of the corporate world has been tested by accounting scandals and the 2008 financial crisis, among other things. These events eroded relations between Boards and shareholders, and stressed the need for high corporate governance standards to restore trust. Among shareholders today, corporate governance is considered an integral part of the investing framework, and is relied upon to provide accountability and protect the interests of shareholders. As corporate governance is critical to shareholders and the backbone of efficient financial markets, it is important for management and board members to be informed on the latest corporate governance trends and recognized “best practices”.

In an effort to help one navigate this evolving area we are pleased to present the Frederic W. Cook & Co. 2015 Corporate Governance Study on executive compensation-related corporate governance practices among Top 250 companies. This study covers three main areas: anti-hedging and anti-pledging policies, compensation recovery (“clawback”) policies, and executive stock ownership guidelines.